


Four Close Calls and One Reveal

by constantconfusion14



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Close call, Gen, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Ladynoir July 2020, Minor cursing, Not Beta Read, Reveal, oh and there's some kissing (oh la la), slightly aged up au, we die like heroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25394458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantconfusion14/pseuds/constantconfusion14
Summary: Exactly what the title sounds like. Written for Ladynoir July 2020 Day 18: Close Call. The second part will be posted for Day 20: Reveal.Aka four times the doofuses almost blew it and the one time they did.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 10
Kudos: 190





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an au where Adrien was always homeschooled and never went to school or met any of the classmates. It's also easier to read if Adrien isn't a model and is instead just hidden from the public eye in general (that way, it's less likely someone will notice or recognize him). Anyways, enjoy!

**1\. The Time with the Gelato Shop**

Adrien sauntered down the bustling street, eyes flicking back and forth to every little sign that hung above the Parisian stores. He specifically remembered Ladybug mentioning this area in her description of her new favorite gelato shop, but of course, she left out the details. 

She probably didn’t think her partner would actually go try and find the little business she was ranting and raving about all throughout patrol. But, he was the Chat Noir to her Ladybug. If she recommended something, Adrien would be damned if he didn’t do his best to try it. (That included sneaking out of his prison of a home and evading his bodyguard for most of the day)

The hardest part was actually finding the place. Coming to the edge of the block again, Adrien turned sharply on his heel and began retracing his steps for the fourth time. This place really must’ve been a literal hole in the wall for him not to have seen it yet. How in the world had his lady just happened to stumble across the shop when he couldn’t find it while actively searching?

It just went to prove she had good luck and he had the worst. 

After a few more laps though, Adrien finally ( _finally!_ ) spotted a small friend group leaving an impossible tiny store holding small gelato cups. He quickly crossed the street, stopping in front of the thin door he must’ve passed at least 20 times. But, looking at it now, it was no wonder he had. The place was almost designed to blend in with the plain bricks around it. _What kind of marketing strategy was that?_

He had put in the work of searching and now it was time to reap his reward. Ladybug had told him she’d found this place a few months ago and now made a point to visit about once every other week. She had built a good relationship with the owners and supported their business because of their values and the quality of their product.

That was something Adrien could definitely get behind. 

The inside was even smaller than it appeared and only allowed for about two and a half people to stand in front of the counter before things might become uncomfortable. Thankfully for him, not many people wanted gelato at noon. A man appeared before him with a wonderfully kind smile, beckoning him further inside the already cozy building. 

“Mosueir! A new face! What can I get you today?”

“I, uh...I’m not sure. A friend told me about your shop, but she failed to include recommendations. What would you suggest?”

Before the man had time to answer, the door swung open, sliding across a tiny bell at the top of the frame. In his peripherals, Adrien noticed a woman with dark hair, but he was too focused on trying to read the tiny signs posted in front of each flavor to pay much more attention. Her appearance had created a much needed diversion for Adrien to figure out what he wanted and recite his order mentally, before he made a fool of himself in front of Ladybug’s new favorite business owner. 

But the distraction wasn’t going to last forever, so Adrien worked quickly to figure out what he wanted.

Thankfully, the store owner turned his attention away from the blonde, toward the newcomer. “Mademoiselle! I’m so glad to see you back again! Will it be the usual for you today?”

“Oh, no, sir. But thank you. I think I want to try something new this time, something that’s not as cliche as my typical order.” She hummed quietly as she politely tried to glance over Adrien’s shoulder at the small tags placed behind the glass. 

All the while, Adrien’s heart had stopped functioning properly, along with his brain.

That _voice_. 

He knew that voice. Like, _knew_ knew that voice. He had it committed to memory so much so that he could create a perfect imitation of her sound in his head when imagining her speaking. 

Adrien listened to that voice constantly when watching videos on the Ladyblog. He listened to that voice during patrols when she ranted about her day. He listened to that voice in the middle of heated battles, yelling her complicated plans at him. 

What, in the name of all things miraculous, were the chances that Chat Noir would visit this tiny, little shop at the exact same moment Ladybug would?

Adrien became hyper aware of her presence behind him, talking on with the store owner. She had no idea how close her partner stood to her. She had no idea they were a 90 degree turn from an identity reveal. She had no idea Chat Noir stood a mere 2 feet from her, completely vulnerable to her observant eyes. She had _no ide-_

“Monsieur? Have you figured out what you’ll be having this afternoon?”

Oh, _shit!_ The focus was back on him. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. He was so unprepared! Adrien felt Ladybug’s eyes glancing at the stranger wondering what on Earth he was doing there, just standing speechless like a bumbling fool. 

But, maybe such an impression was correct. Adrien knew that she’d recognize his voice just as quickly as he’d recognized hers. He knew that she would put the pieces together and figure out the terrible puzzle he hadn’t meant to create. 

And on top of all of everything he knew, Adrien _did not_ know what kind of gelato he wanted. Being this panicked certainly wasn’t going to help with that decision. So he took the only possible course of action he saw at the time being. 

He lifted the collar of his overshirt on either side of his face, ducking the rest of it deep into his shoulder in a terrible effort to hide his identity from people who had no idea he had an identity to hide. 

“AhhhHHHHH HAHA! Hahahaha! NOpe! Nope, nope, nope, nope…” He muttered the phrase, turning suddenly and bolting from the shop. His left shoulder brushed harshly against Ladybug’s, but Adrien just kept walking. He didn’t apologize, just left the store as fast as he could, running away once he was safe, out on the streets. 

Once a safe distance away, Adrien dropped his shirt collar and stuffed his hands into his pocket. Plagg flew up and hid away behind Adrien’s neck, snickering at everything he’d just witnessed. Adrien was too distracted to chastise the god for his behavior. His pace only hastened as he thought about the terrible almost-encounter. 

“Nope, nope, nope, nope…” he continued as he walked forward with nowhere in mind. 

**2\. The Time In the Alleyway**

She. Had. Done it! After countless attempts and having very little idea as to what was happening, Marinette had actually recreated the Aqua-serum for their powerups. The girl pushed back from her desk covered in beakers, strange ingredients and a large mixing bowl. She spun excitedly in her chair, celebrating quietly at her success.

Maybe this whole guardian-thing wouldn’t be completely impossible after all.

An alarm on her phone started blaring and Marinette was immediately filled with anxiety again. She sighed aggressively, picking up her phone to verify what she already knew. An akuma attack. Perfect. Thankfully from the look of it, the aquatic powers weren’t needed. But _she_ definitely was. 

Marinette stood from her chair and beckoned her tiny kwami over to her. “Well, no rest for the weary. Time to get to work. Tikki, Spots On!”

**************

“Pound it!” A spotted fist met a clawed one as the heroes celebrated saving yet another one of Hawkmoth’s victims. Chat’s ring beeped aggressively and he dismissed himself from the scene rather quickly, allowing Ladybug to help the victim on the ground.

Once she had done so and the man assured her he didn’t need to be taken back home or anywhere specific, Ladybug realized she had forgotten to tell Chat the good news. She whipped her head around and saw his black form vaulting across the rooftops. He wasn’t too far yet. She would easily be able to catch up with him.

Normally she’d just let this slide, but it was a rather important breakthrough for the both of them. Besides, she had no one to share this success with other than him and dammit, Marinette wanted some recognition. 

So, she followed him.

Ladybug zipped after her partner, very aware of her own earrings beeping at her angrily, as if Tikki herself were telling Marinette what a bad idea this was. There had been close calls before, though. She could make this. She had time. 

Ladybug watched Chat drop into an alleyway and she followed suit, right on his heels. She touched the ground and called out to him. He turned to face her just as a green light zipped up his body, taking his suit and mask away with it. 

“ _EEEEEEKKKKK_ ” The sound of pure anxiety left Ladybug’s mouth that was definitely more reactionary than intentional. She whipped around immediately, but it was still not fast enough to avoid seeing bright orange converse, black jeans and a blue hoodie. 

Chat Noir scrambled to cover his face with his hands in a motion far too similar to him desperately trying to cover himself up whenever someone opened the door to his room when he wasn’t fully clothed. The feeling was exactly the same. 

Ladybug had just walked in on him. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t see your face, I swear! Oh my _god,_ Chat. I am so sorry!”

“Ahaha, it’s okay LB. I just didn’t realize you were in such a hurry to reveal our identities.” He was trying to joke, but Ladybug could hear the residual panic in his voice. 

She felt terrible. Absolutely awful. She was embarrassed and uncomfortable and just sick with her own recklessness. With one, stupid decision, she’d almost completely blown the entire superhero charade. All of her muscles tensed suddenly out of anger at herself and she felt involuntary tears forming in the corners of her eyes at the pure humiliation of her own actions.

“I’m so sorry Chat Noir. I just wanted to tell you something before you left, but I almost messed everything up. I’ll just see you at our next patrol.” She pulled her arm back, about to throw her yo-yo and zip into her own abandoned alley to de-transform. _Anything to escape this terribly awkward, mortifying situation._

Before she had the chance though, soft, blonde hair tickled the side of her face. Her partner’s warm, forgiving arms wrapped around her waist in a hug from behind. He buried his exposed face into her shoulder, but squeezed her tightly for a few seconds before letting go and stepping back to stand directly behind her. 

“I know you’re beating yourself up, my lady. Stop. Don’t do that. I’ve almost caught you de-transformed too and I felt awful and terrible. It's bound to happen sometimes and we shouldn’t feel bad when it does. After all, our identities are still safe, aren’t they? No harm, no foul.” He reached up and gently massaged her shoulders as her earrings flashed a final warning. “Now, release that tension and continue on your way before both of us are stranded here.”

His voice was so light, so forgiving and carefree. Ladybug breathed deeply and her exhale came out shakily, evidence that she’d been on the verge of tears. She rolled her shoulders back as Chat once again let go of her and released the tension from her body. He was right. It was just an accident. And accidents happened.

Ladybug continued watching the open street, not daring to turn around and hug him, though the temptation was extreme. “You’re right. Thank you. I’m sorry for overreacting and-”

Her transformation fell suddenly. 

“AH!” She heard Chat yell this time as his shoes scraped against gravel. He must’ve pivoted himself around immediately to avoid catching a glimpse of his partner out of uniform. 

“Well, shit.” Marinette murmured under her breath. Chat started laughing.

Luckily, there was an easy solution. All she had to do was walk out of the alley and get lost in the crowds. A few minutes later, Chat could emerge and continue on his own way. But, if she was being honest with herself, Marinette didn’t really want to leave. 

The two of them stood there for a few minutes, not knowing what to say or do. Finally, Chat’s voice broke the tension. “If you’re not in a hurry, bugaboo, why don’t you tell me what you thought was so important you needed to follow me?”

Good. A distraction. She wasn’t in a hurry and grabbed on to the excuse to hang around with him for a little longer. “Do you have a few minutes?”

“For you, I have all the time in the world.” Marinette internally snorted at his cheeky reply and moved to sit on the nasty ground of the alley. He must’ve heard her movements and followed suit until they were both sitting there, back to back. 

After getting their food, their kwami’s flew off somewhere out of earshot, enjoying the time together while Ladybug explained her success in figuring out one of the potions. As expected, her partner sang her praises, complimenting her on her ingenuity over and over again. Marinette smiled and blushed at his comments. She soon felt much better and found some of the stress of being the guardian falling off her shoulders. 

She might not be able to look at him, but Chat Noir was there for her, in and out of the costume. And that made things doable. 

**3\. The Time After Finals**

Marinette needed sleep more than she ever had in her life. It had been a terrible week of finals, pushing relentlessly to get her design projects in before the end of the semester. Finally, she had finished everything and Alya insisted on celebrating a successful term of school (well, the success of it was to be decided in a couple days, once final grades were released). Regardless, they had both worked themselves ragged and were home for Christmas break. 

Alya invited her over and Marinette had stayed much longer than she originally intended to. She had drifted off in the middle of her own sentence when Alya insisted she go home and _sleep._ Very much enticed by the idea of not being awake, Marinette sluggishly agreed.

The duo walked through the brief hallway leading to the exit of the large apartment. Marinette reached out for the door handle but was stopped by her best friend before she had the chance to turn it. 

“Girl, where’s your coat?”

Marinette squinted her eyes for a moment, thinking. She turned around abruptly and scanned her eyes across the room. There was no sign of her winter coat anywhere. Her bluebell eyes shot skyward as she tried to recall where she’d set it down when she first came in. “I...I didn’t bring one?” She voiced after coming to a not-so-definite conclusion. 

“Is that a question?” Alya’s voice was laced with amusement. 

Marinette just pursed her lips in thought again, but eventually surrendered to a shrug and sly smile. 

“I thought you’d get your head out of the clouds once we transitioned to university and you moved past your mystery crush. But I see now that I was wrong.” She winked at Marinette who’s cheeks were warm despite the winter season. Alya was the only person who knew Marinette had a crush on someone throughout Lycee. She harangued her best friend about it constantly but Marinette had never told her who the lucky guy was. Seeing as it was her fatally handsome superhero partner, _no one_ knew who her heart belonged to (not even Chat himself). 

“Here, you can borrow one of my old ones.” Alya chuckled, breaking Marinette from her thoughts. Of course her exhausted mind would fall back into _those_ thoughts. She’d tried to push them away for the entire semester, convincing herself to move on. Apparently, sleep-deprived Marinette had a different idea entirely. Now that she thought about it, she realized she still had feelings for Chat. The way he joked with her, cared for her, protected her, loved he-

Alya moved away for a moment to access her family’s coat closet. The movement snapped Marinette back to the present. _I drifted off in thought twice within 30 seconds??_ She definitely needed to get home ASAP. After a few seconds of noisily rummaging, Alya produced an old friend from the closest that Marinette had thought she’d never see again. 

“You’re gonna make me wear your Ladybug jacket?” The raven-haired girl screamed internally at the thought of accidentally doing a poor cosplay of herself. It was one of the first articles of clothing Marinette had ever been commissioned for, and of course it was a Ladybug-themed item for Alya. 

The jacket was designed to fall to mid-calf, covering a feminine figure nicely. From the waist down was black with faint, red polka dots. The torso moreso resembled an actual ladybug, with red cloth wrapping around the back like ovular wings. The same fabric reached across the rib cage on either side, combining to cover the chest area. Black polka dots graced the red fabric. Along with a hood with the shape of an eye mask stitched into it, it was painfully obvious who the jacket was modeled after. Knowing her best friend, Marinette had included a zipper as well as buttons and many, many pockets. At the time of its completion, the young designer had been astonishingly happy with her work. Now all she could see were flaws and areas she could improve upon. 

She sighed again at her own frustration for forgetting her own coat in the first place. Although she _really_ didn’t want to wear this old coat for multiple reasons, she smiled at Alya and slipped her hand into the armhole whilst her friend held the garment up for her. Wearing her own, flawed designs was bad enough. Wearing a large coat that might cause someone to figure out she was actually Ladybug was worse. 

But at this point, Marinette honestly didn’t care. She pulled the hood over her head and zipped up the coat. Her identity be damned, she was going to get home and _sleep_. Marinette thanked Alya and her family again and left their apartment, wrapping her arms around her to keep her body warmth against her rather than letting it blow away with the bitter wind. Once outside, she called a cab and gave him the address of her home, letting him do the work instead of her legs. 

Unfortunately, her wearied brain couldn’t even get that right. She stared in complete confusion as the cab rolled up to a familiar location that did not _at all_ resemble her house. Instead, it was a small building with businesses on each level. Marinette immediately recognized the location as Master Fu’s old massage parlor. She groaned at herself and grated her hands down her face. 

Where had she even pulled that address from? It had been years since she’d been to the parlor. She didn’t even realize she had the address committed to memory. It was so embarrassing it was almost impressive. Marinette pulled open her purse and realized she only had enough cash to pay for the trip she’d already taken. She searched a little deeper for another form of payment but came up empty. _I must’ve left my wallet in my backpack_. 

This was _not_ how she wanted the evening to end. 

Seeing no other option, she paid the driver and got out of the car. It wasn’t the furthest walk and she didn’t have enough mental capacity to create another plan, so she yielded to the consequences of her mistake and began to trudge through the freezing Paris night. Calling her parents to pick her up didn’t even cross her mind. She was so sleep deprived that it took all her mental capacity to just focus on staying awake. Tikki hid within an inside pocket of the jacket, desperately keeping close to the girl’s body for warmth. 

Despite saying the phrase to Alya and her family multiple times, it was not turning out to be a good night. It certainly did not get better when the sewer drains exploded in front of her. 

Disgusting water shot up like a geyser and flooded the freezing streets of Paris. A monstrous cry was heard a few blocks away. Marinette didn’t even startle from the sudden action. She just stopped for a moment to inhale deeply. On the exhale she verbally screamed out her frustration into the frigid air. 

_Now?!_ Hawkmoth wanted to create an akuma _now??_ He couldn’t have at least waited until the morning?!? She groaned again, stomping her feet in a miniature temper-tantrum but then regained her composure. She was the hero of Paris, and she had a job to do.

Well, not really a job. This was volunteer work. She wasn’t getting paid whatsoever for this bullshit. Not even compensated with like, a free bus ticket or something. Even if she were on salary, there’s no way it would have been enough to deal with this situation right now. Bottom line: she was desperately underpaid.

But she wasn’t doing this for the money and took off towards the sound anyway. Her pace increased exponentially as the sound grew nearer. A formless black blurr blocked out the moon above her for an instant and she immediately recognized her partner heading towards the scene of the crime. 

Immediately, Marinette’s mind snapped into Ladybug mode. She felt a familiar feeling tingling all around her and mistakenly took the numbing cold to be her super suit appearing over her body. Already running on fumes, her mind couldn’t make a distinction between the Ladybug themed coat and the actual transformation. 

As far as Marinette was concerned, she was Ladybug, more prepared for the fight than ever. She took off after her partner, following his shadowless form from the ground level. 

What she couldn’t figure out was why he was so much faster than she was. Her legs were pumping with all their might, but she was moving much slower than she normally did as Ladybug. It was probably due to her non-existent sleep schedule and the fact that she was running on about 2 hours, which was _not_ enough when taking superhero duties into consideration. 

Eventually, she arrived at the battle scene. The akuma was disgustingly slimy and seemed to use the sewers and drainage pipes to get around the city. No matter how much Chat hit it, the attack was absorbed and the monster raged on as if nothing had happened. 

A _thwack_ sounded from the fight and Chat Noir was suddenly flying directly towards her, unable to twist his body around fast enough to catch himself. That was fine. Ladybug had caught him a thousand times before. This time would be no different. She positioned herself perfectly and opened her arms to cradle him before he hit the ground. 

The only issue was, she wasn’t Ladybug. 

“Marinette!” Tikki cried from inside her jacket right before the cat hero slammed into her. Her legs instantly failed her and the force of her partner threw her back across the snowy street. They flew in separate directions, her back sliding across the harsh sidewalk and his face colliding loudly with a street lamp. 

_Ouch_. 

Marinette’s thoughts abandoned her momentarily and she was left in completely silent darkness, trying to claw her way back towards the clouded light. She was somehow able to will herself back into consciousness and blinked a few times to clear her mind. 

What the hell had just happened? She caught Chat least three times a week. Never had she failed so spectacularly and never had it hurt so much to be thrown across concrete. She pulled herself to a sitting position and was met with a tiny red blur floating in front of her face.

“Ladybug!” Tikki cried. “Are you alright??”

Wait just a damn minute. 

If Tikki was here...then that meant she wasn’t transformed. And if she wasn’t transformed, then…

“Ladybug!” A masculine voice cut her off. 

Chat sprinted up to her, taking notice of her red spotted coat and winter snow boots. “Hey! There’s a winter mode? Wait, are you okay? Wait, you’re not transformed, _are you???”_ Chat felt his blood drain from his face as he realized what was going on. The sewer monster screamed something in the background, but he was much too focused on the scene in front of him. 

Ladybug quickly pulled her hood tightly over her face to cover it completely. “Chat!” She sounded as though she were simultaneously berating him and asking for help. It was really only a tone of voice Ladybug could possibly use towards him. Regardless, the sound snapped him into action. In one fluid motion, Chat bent over, picking her up bridal style and took off sprinting away from the battle just as a burst of water rushed towards them. His right hand cradled her head, pushing it into his shoulder to avoid any accidental face-slips. 

Chat Noir cradled his partner protectively as he ran away, seeking the safety of an empty alleyway. It didn’t take long for him to find one this late at night. Once he stopped, he set her down and immediately faced away from her. But that didn’t stop his fury from boiling over.

“You’re not transformed?!? What the hell, milady!? You could’ve been hurt! You could’ve been _killed!_ Don’t you ever, _ever_ , pull a stunt like that again!”

Marinette had no idea how to respond. In her defense, she had fully though she was transformed when she attempted to join the fight. How was her sleep-deprived brain supposed to realize she was lacking a crucial element?

“I-I’m sorry for worrying you, Chat. I got confused for a second and really thought I was Ladybug. I guess I forgot an important step, though.” She added a chuckle to lighten up the mood. 

Chat Noir just breathed heavily out of his nose. Without being able to see his face, Marinette couldn’t tell if it was a tiny sigh of frustration or if he was suppressing a laugh. She supposed she deserved both. 

Tikki appeared in the alleyway, floating down to the duo standing in the dark. She approached Marinette with a sly look on her little face. Marinette just rolled her eyes, waiting for the reprimand. 

Surprisingly, sarcasm dripped off Tikki’s tongue as she chastised her chosen. “I know it’s only been _three years_ and you’re still working on committing the phrase to memory, but it’s important to say _‘Spots On!’_ before charging into battle.”

“HA!” Chat cackled. 

Marinette deadpanned. She wasn’t going to live this one down. 

**4\. The Time with the Poetry**

Marinette was horribly late to patrol, again. She frantically swung her way across her beautiful city to the agreed upon rooftop and found Chat Noir standing in the middle. Her panic came to a sudden halt as she watched him speaking loudly and gesticulating wildly to no one in particular.

He turned and his eyes caught hers as she walked towards him, giving him a puzzling smile. His entire face lit up when he saw her and his performance grew to be more dramatic. Sound was coming from his baton and she quickly realized he was speaking along with it, his words perfectly matching up with those on the track. 

_“‘I wrote a note saying_ _“When two people fall in love, they do so at the same speed.” There's no need to factor in the physics._

_“Explanations are something we can make no use of. Einstein once wrote, ‘Gravity will not be held responsible for people falling in love.’_

_“I wrote a note saying, “If I fall in love with you, no one will ever be able to explain it,” and I think that's beautiful_.’” 

He stopped speaking, but the spoken poetry on his cat-phone continued. Chat smiled down at her warmly, greeting her with his eyes and somehow nonverbally applying the beautiful words he’d just said to her. Ladybug felt her face heating up at their close proximity and felt her breath hitch as she listened to what he was saying. 

It was lovely. 

“Welp! you caught me, bugaboo. I’m a poetry fanatic.” Chat’s soft voice was gone suddenly, replaced by his obnoxious one he used whenever he purposely wanted to get a rise out of Ladybug.

She was shocked back into reality when he paused the soundtrack on his phone and transformed it back into his typical staff. “Ready for patrol, then?” He bowed slightly and extended his hand towards her.

Ladybug couldn’t get over what she’d just witnessed. Whenever Chat revealed his more sensitive side, it always made her flustered and caught her off guard. She was still trying to recover. But, she took his hand anyway, letting him lead the way for once. 

They’d talked about _them_ before and decided that a relationship should be out of the question. It was simply nonsense to date someone when you didn’t know their name, couldn’t see them outside specific circumstances and shared very little experiences not shrouded in secrecy. No, they couldn’t date. But that didn’t mean Ladybug couldn’t love him. 

And she did. Despite her initial attempts to ignore her feelings, she loved him fiercely. 

Now, even if the words weren’t his own, she knew he shared those feelings of hers. The way he spoke to her and held her tightly, smiling gently down at her was enough to tell the truth without words. 

“That was beautiful, Chat.” She whispered as he pulled her close and sent her an impish smile. 

She thought about that poem a lot that night.

**************

A few weeks later, Marinette strolled into her campus library exactly at 3:30 in the afternoon. She’d reserved a private study room for herself to avoid any interruptions and just crank out the essay she needed to turn in by 11:59 that night. The girl walked up to the front desk, signed in next to her name on the sheet and continued back to the same room she always chose. 

She arranged the books in her arms as she walked, getting out _The History of Modern Design_ and pulling it to the top of the stack. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the smartest move for a clumsy person to try and multitask. After much struggling and a whole lot of not looking where she was going, the desired book was finally placed on top. 

Her hands being full, Marinette turned her back to her study room, pushing the horizontal handle down with her elbow and leaning her weight against the door to open it. When the door swung inside, Marinette was met with loud noise as opposed to silence, which she had been expecting. 

But, not only silence. It was spoken word. And it was incredibly familiar for some reason. 

She looked up and saw a blonde boy sitting with his back to her, clearly doing some research online. His ‘music’ was blaring and he was loudly speaking along with it, completely ignorant to the intruder in his space. As the familiar phrasing continued, Marinette placed the words immediately. They were the exact words Chat had spoken to her on the rooftop weeks ago. The words that had caused her to fall for him all over again. The words that had caught her off guard so much, she hadn’t paid attention to patrol at all and instead just kept stealing glances at her happy-go-lucky partner. 

The same words and the same _voice_ flowed through her ears now. “‘If I fall in love with you, no one will ever be able to explain it, and I think that’s beautiful.’”

There was no doubt in her mind that this boy was her partner. Meaning...

Chat Noir went to her school. 

Not only did he attend the same university, he was in _her_ favorite study room. She had inadvertently looked at his _actual_ name above hers on the sign-in sheet. And now, she was standing behind him, completely unmasked, staring at his non-messy, golden hair. 

She was frozen for a few seconds, just taking in the strange sight. He seemed extremely well-groomed as opposed to how messy Chat always appeared to be. Despite needing to use the mouse to scroll, his hands kept conveying his emotions as he spoke, moving through the air like choreography. Marinette was stunned at the absolute coincidence of the entire thing. She watched for a few seconds longer before the slick book from the top of her pile chose to hate her and fell to the ground, making a crashing sound that couldn’t be ignored. 

Marinette saw the boy whip around quickly towards the noise and she knew that she’d be caught if she didn’t take action immediately.

So she bolted. A few more papers and a reference essay were dropped in the sudden movements as she flew out of the room and slammed the door behind her. The noise echoed through the silent building and everyone turned to stare at her immediately.

But the girl didn’t look back. She ran right past the ‘no running’ signs and flew out the entryway, disappearing into the crowd of students outside. 

All Adrien saw was the glimpse of a girl with dark hair tied back in a ponytail before the door slammed and she disappeared into the hallway. Although he’d barely seen her, something inside his mind clicked. The familiar build and hairstyle were much too similar to ignore. Plus, he’d seen reactions like that before. He’d _felt_ that exact anxiety. 

He knew, for a fact, that girl was Ladybug and they’d just narrowly avoided another identity reveal. He sat in the revelation for a moment, his heart beating loudly as the poetry continued in the background: 

“' _From this life, I’ve drawn conclusions so big they can’t fit into the tiny comic book boxes. Because I don’t want to risk losing the details just so I can make the story fit._ ’” 

But Adrien didn’t need to make the story fit. It all fell into place on its own, creating a picture that was much more interesting than the history project he was working on. 

Ladybug attended the same school he did. 

Needless to say, neither of them turned their papers in on time that night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem Chat is quoting is Shane Koyczan’s “Tomatoes.” And yeah, I know it makes little sense for him to be quoting a Canadian poet and it makes even less sense for Marinette to understand him, but oh well. I love Shane Koyczan and wanted to spread his poetry. Ladynoir happened to be the purrfect outlet lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to find me on tumblr @constantconfusion14.tumblr.com!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posted for Day 20: Reveal
> 
> Yo, I've read so many reveals that I'm scared that when it happens in canon it's going to feel anticlimactic. Haha, that being said...here's another reveal fic (because I'm never going to jump off this bandwagon).

**5\. The Time it was Just Unavoidable**

Alya had only been working as a journalist intern for a few months at her new company and she already claimed to have found the perfect boyfriend for Marinette. Apparently, she had been assigned to interview some young man working for the Gabriel Fashion brand for a story she was working on. Immediately after, Alya blew up Marinette’s phone with texts about the gorgeously handsome, kind, perfect Marinette-counterpart named Adrien Agreste. 

Yes, Alya ensured her, as in Gabriel Agreste. Apparently, the fashion mogul had a son that was hidden away from the public eye for the majority of his life. But now, at age 23, he was being groomed to eventually take over the fashion company. After the interview, Adrien had grown to become good friends with Alya and her fianće, Nino. He often spoke of how he’d had very little interaction as a kid and how much he loved having his own friends as a young adult. 

Not only was he rich and handsome with a sympathetic sob story, but he was single. And, he’d agreed to go on a blind date with Alya’s best friend after hearing many things about her from his favorite couple. 

So, here she was, stuck in a conjoined hotel room as Nino prepared her mystery man on the other side of the bathroom. It was Alya and Nino’s one year anniversary of engagement and they’d decided to go all out to celebrate with a double date. They’d gotten hotel rooms as well as reservations at a nice restaurant. As a final gift, the couple got to play ‘matchmaker’ with their good friends.

“Alya, it’s just weird because I know nothing about him. Isn’t this going to ruin your evening with Nino? You guys should be enjoying each other, not focusing on me and rich-boy.” Marinette questioned her friend as they got ready.

“Pfft, girl, it's an anniversary of engagement. No one celebrates that. If anything, Nino and I created this trip to get you and Adrien together and just used the anniversary as an excuse to come along and watch the fun. Trust me, this man is perfect for you. You’re going to have a great time. He’s incredibly excited to meet you.”

And although Marinette was at least a little excited to meet him as well, she couldn’t help but feel as if she was cheating on Chat. She  _ knew _ they’d agreed that a superhero relationship was impractical. But just because they couldn’t be together didn’t mean she couldn’t love him. And she did. Marinette loved her partner in every way.

But she had to move on at some point. So why not today, with a handsome model looking forward to an evening in her presence? 

“Why aren’t you doing my hair and makeup in the bathroom? The lighting in there is probably way better.” Marinette blew a stray strand of hair out of her face, watching Alya work in the mirror. 

“Because, girl. I don’t want to risk an accidental surprise before the big reveal moment. Trust me, Nino and I have everything planned. It’s going to be a perfect night. As soon as he sees you, his mouth is going to hit the floor. Guaranteed. ”

Marinette just huffed again. She was looking forward to it, but she was also incredibly nervous. This Adrien character seemed  _ way  _ out of her league. She was just an amateur designer slowly working her way to creating her own company. But, she had plenty of room to improve and almost nothing to show for her years of hard work. Compared to Adrien Agreste, she was embarrassing. 

“Come on, don’t do this to yourself, girl. You’re drop-dead gorgeous. You’re up and coming, with more new ideas than most people have ever heard over their entire career. Your personality is impossible to not fall in love with and you’re the perfect match to this guy. I promise. You’re not going to regret this.”

So Marinette stopped complaining and just let Alya finish giving her an up-do and then moved to work her magic on her face. She heard loud laughter coming from the room next door. Of course, the boys were probably ready by now. Alya had finished her own get-up a while ago, so now everyone was just waiting on Marinette, as usual. 

She had a feeling deep down in her gut that something was going to go terribly wrong tonight. A small flash of red caught her eye and she noticed Tikki popping her head out of one of the drawers on the nightstand. She sent a smile and then disappeared again as Alya turned her around to face her reflection in the mirror.    


“And…voila! My best work yet, if I do say so myself.” She smiled grandly towards the girl sitting in the chair. 

Marinette had to admit, Alya did know her way around some makeup brushes. The look was relatively natural, but soft hints of red eyeshadow, blush and lipgloss made her features pop nicely. Her hair was intricately tied up with a few free strands dangling in front of her face to frame it. 

“Now, just slip on your dress and we’re ready to go. Right on schedule. Even I can counteract the Marinette late-curse if I set my mind to it.” That comment only earned an eye-roll as Marinette stood up and walked towards the closet for her dress. It was one of her own designs. The boat neck style, ¾ lace sleeves and subtly pleated bottom half perfectly achieved the look she was going for: simple yet elegant. Perfect for a fancy first date. The color was of a deep red wine, which accompanied her makeup and black heels perfectly. 

But, again, something felt off. Red was Ladybug’s color, not Marinette’s. She’d only worn it tonight because it gave her a confidence boost whenever she sported the bold shade. Now, standing her in the outfit, she felt cold. A certain blonde haired, green-eyed cat was missing from her side. She briefly imagined him in a suit, escorting her through this fancy casino. He’d look gorgeous in a suit. Unfortunately, Ladybug would only ever see him in leather. 

Alya strolled up to her now sporting another one of Marinette’s designs: a floor length burnt orange dress with a sweetheart neckline that plunged the perfect amount for Alya’s chest. A slit was cut into the side and the reflective fabric shined just like it’s wearer. Nino was definitely a dead man. 

The reporter checked her phone and announced the text on the screen. “Alright, Nino says they’re in position. We’re going to have a total Cinderella moment here with the stairs. You ready, girl?”

Marinette bit back the nervousness and gut feeling that she needed to back out of this arrangement. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” and they walked out the door. 

The duo took the elevator to the second story where they got off and approached the grand staircase from above. At the bottom, Marinette spotted Nino standing with another blonde-haired gentleman who must’ve been Adrien, judging by their close proximity. His back was to her, and she only saw his black suit and bright hair, but something was so familiar about him. He must’ve been speaking about an interest because he gesticulated wildly into the air, making Nino laugh. But for a split second, the motions shot Marinette back to a study room in her college library, when she'd accidentally seen her partner. The level of enthusiasm was exactly the same and it made her heart ache for his familiar smile. 

The woman chided herself for the umpteenth time. Tonight was _not_ about Chat Noir. Tonight was about new beginnings, new opportunities and, just maybe, a chance to move on. Though she wasn't exactly sure she was ready. 

The girls stood at the top of the staircase and Alya whistled loudly after her boyfriend failed to notice her immediately. Both (along with many other onlookers) turned to look at the beauties as they walked down the stairs. Alya strutted everything she had while Marinette’s body language was more defensive and insecure as unknown sets of eyes stared at her. Despite being dressed in red, her confidence felt like it was at an all time low. 

There was only one person on this planet who could boost her spirits when she felt this unsure of herself. Unfortunately, he wasn’t an option at the moment.  _ But, be grateful for what you have _ , she chided herself. Even from a distance, she could see Adrien staring at her like she was worth every treasure in the world. His eyes locked on to hers from below and he gazed on her with pure amazement. 

Marinette had to admit, it was flattering.

After their grand appearance, the girls finally touched the ground floor and came to meet their respective counterparts. Nino rolled up and wrapped his arm around his fianće’s waist, resting his open palm on her hips. “Damn, babe. You’re looking fine as  _ all hell _ tonight.”

She giggled and pushed his nose back with her forefinger. “Just remember, the night is young and it only gets better from here.”

Marinette raised her eyebrows and looked at the couple. She was suddenly very relieved they’d decided to get two different rooms as opposed to a single with multiple beds. Given the looks her friends were giving each other, a separation was going to be necessary tonight. 

“Ahem,” a smooth voice cleared his throat in front of her. Marinette turned her attention from her friends to the newcomer and smiled warmly at him. Alya really hadn’t been downplaying his physical attributes. Adrien was drop-dead gorgeous. His hair shined like an oasis and his soft smile graced his face gratefully, as if he were currently thinking about all the things he was thankful for. His height was a bonus and Marinette could easily tell his arms were toned and muscular beneath his suit coat. 

Yeah, in terms of a ‘looker,’ Alya did a good job.

What confused Marinette was the puzzling stare she was receiving from him, as if she’d grown a second or third head. Adrien tilted his head slightly and looked deeply into her face. He smiled again, but it almost seemed forced, as if he were focusing about something else in the back of his mind. 

He held out his hand and Marinette moved to accept it. Both adults spoke their names in unison moments before their hands met. 

“Hey, I’m Marinette-”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Adrien-

All of the oxygen was sucked out of the room in a single instant. Every single person suddenly disappeared and Marinette was just standing there, staring at the painfully familiar face. But it wasn’t Adrien’s appearance that had triggered such a reaction. 

His voice. 

Her  _ voice _ . 

Marinette immediately pulled her hand away from his. It flew up to her lips and she covered her mouth with both hands, afraid a single breath could throw off the balance of the world. In the same moment, Adrien’s pupils dilated greatly and all of his movements ceased instantly. An awful, breathless noise clawed its way through his throat, as if he’d just been kicked in the stomach by a professional football player. 

Alya and Nino instantly stopped what they were doing and stared at the duo as if they were the newest movie in theatres. 

Adrien was able to pull himself together first. It had all clicked so quickly, he’d barely had time to process it. The same color hair, the same eyes, the perfect body figure  _ and _ that voice? A voice that transported him to dangerous akuma fights and moved him to dark, quiet rooftops where they shared their secrets. An unmasked voice that ate gelato from the exact same store and ordered something new five years ago. 

This was the same voice. It was the same person. 

“Milady, your voice. It’s….it’s…” He tried to find the perfect words, but it turned out to be more difficult that he could’ve anticipated. “It’s beautifully-”

“Familiar?” she finished. The blonde boy across from her just nodded, as if in a trance. Marinette continued his train of thought for him. “I-It’s you, isn’t it?”

Again, he found himself unable to react. Adrien could only look at the woman in front of him whose beauty was almost painful to stare at directly. She was adorned in a gorgeous  _ red _ dress of all things, the perfect match to his black suit and green tie. As always, she was his second half. But none of these thoughts were strong enough to break through his shock and utter elation at what was happening. Instead, hot tears simply pooled at the corner of his eyes as he nodded again. 

Marinette needed no words to know the answer was yes. “Oh, my  _ Chaton” _

And then she lunged forward, throwing herself into him in an attempt to cover her own face before the dam broke. He immediately enveloped her with such a level of familiarity that the truth was impossible to deny now. Her face was buried in his chest and he shoved his own into her hair. She felt his knees give out and the two sank to the ground, lost in each other’s embrace. 

_ I found you, I found you, I found you, I found you.  _

Marinette pulled back just enough to peer up at his face. He looked down on her with watery eyes and a smile that had previously been reserved for terrible puns, midnight patrols, accidental naps and terrible akuma fights where she’d put herself in the direct line of danger. He gave her a look of absolute love. And this time, there was no mask to dilute it. 

She couldn’t help herself before she reached up and pushed her lips against his. Years of passion exploded between them in a single moment. He tensed for only a second before melting against her, his lips soft and welcoming. He tasted like mint and rain and he was perfect. She poured her heart out against his mouth and he happily accepted it, returning the exact emotions without a single moment of hesitation. 

_I am yours_ _and you are mine_. 

They only pulled apart when neither had a sufficient amount of air to breathe and it was absolutely necessary. Their eyes met again between ragged, hot breaths and gasps of disbelief. 

“A _ hem _ ” a voice above them broke them out of their stupor. Alya and Nino stood above the duo, the prior completely in shock and the former in absolute amusement. For the first time, Marinette became aware of the fact that she was sitting (in a dress) on the floor of a busy casino and had previously been making out (with the love of her life) in front of a massive group of people. She blushed the color of her dress and quickly pulled herself to her feet. Her hand refused to leave Chat’s and she pulled him up with her. 

“Milday, may I just say that you are a purrfect kisser.” He rolled the ‘r’ sound and provided her with a look of absolute seduction. Maybe it was the atmosphere or the clothes or the fact that she could finally release everything she’d been bottling up for years, but Marinette almost kissed him again right then and there. Except she wouldn’t have been able to stop herself, so she decided to wait. 

“Damn, you two. We’ve paired people before, but  _ never _ , have I  _ ever _ seen them go at each other immediately like you guys. It’s like cupid himself shot you dudes with his most potent arrow or something.” Nino laughed, taking extreme enjoyment in the reaction he’d just witnessed. 

Alya, on the other hand, was still overcoming her shock. She grabbed Marinette by one hand and Adrien by the other, dragging them to the corner of the room like teenagers who've just been caught by their parents. Nino followed quickly, not wanting to miss any juicy details. 

The redhead whipped her head towards Adrien first. “Milady??” She then turned her attention to Marinette. “And Chaton??” Alya took a few steps back and glanced between both of them, giving the truth time to fully sink into her thoughts. “Don’t tell me I just paired up  _ the _ Ladybug and Chat Noir…”

Marinette would’ve panicked at the second unexpected reveal of the night, but she was on cloud nine, which was far too high above the plane of typical worries and anxieties. Hawkmoth himself wouldn’t be able to put a damper on the current high she was riding. She just chuckled and reached out again for Adrien’s hand, smiling at him as she did so. It was the only answer Alya needed. 

“Oh. My. God. I did!” She grabbed Nino’s arm and aggressively began shaking it, either from anger or pure excitement. “I-I can’t. How-Wha-I....I’m the best matchmaker ever!” She let go of her boyfriend (no longer laughing with amusement, but stuck in his own state of shock) and rushed forward to hug the duo. 

Once she released, Adrien stared back down at Ladybug. “It appears the cat’s out of the bag, bugaboo” He muttered, only loud enough for her to hear. 

She scoffed at the very much expected joke. “And it’s never going back in.” She reached up and pulled his lips back down to hers and she was lost again, never to be found. 

At least, never to be found  _ alone _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
